Illinois Clean Car Act (updated)
I strongly supported the Illinois Clean Car Act, pending in 2009-10 session as HB 422 (introduced by Rep. Karen May) and cross-introduced in the Senate as SB 1941.

This bill essentially would have given Illinois the same automobile mileage/emissions standards as California, phasing in from 2012 to 2020; the logic was that if enough states adopt these higher standards, manufacturers will make cleaner cars. The Illinois bill was mooted in 2010 by the welcome announcement from the White House of new CAFE and tailpipe standards, which will help standardize clean cars nationwide.

Clean cars are a win-win. The Illinois Climate Action Coalition calculates that Clean Car Standards would save Illinoisans $2,000-$3,000 in gasoline over the lifetime of their car, with a payback period of about 2-1/2 years for someone who pays cash, and slower payback but cumulatively still-significant savings for someone who finances.

Also, because money that consumers save on gasoline tends to stay in-state and recirculate rapidly into the economy, proponents calculate that a Clean Cars Standard would create nearly 12,500 jobs in Illinois, including nearly 2,000 union jobs.


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